By DAVID KLEPPER and MICHAEL HILL, The Associated Press
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Mario Cuomo had a loud and liberal voice that inspired a generation of politicians to turn to public service, and a story of humble beginnings that he wove into calls for social justice during his three terms as New...

NEW YORK (AP) — Donna Douglas, who played the buxom tomboy Elly May Clampett on the hit 1960s sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies," has died.
Douglas died Thursday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, near her hometown of Zachary. The cause of death was pancreatic cancer, said her niece, Charlene Smith....

By RICK FREEMAN, The Associated Press
Stuart Scott, the longtime "SportsCenter" anchor and ESPN personality known for his enthusiasm and ubiquity, died Sunday. He was 49.
Scott had fought cancer since a diagnosis in late 2007, the cable TV sports network said, but remained dedicated to his...

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Andraé Crouch, a legendary gospel performer, songwriter and choir director whose work graced songs by Michael Jackson and Madonna and movies such as "The Lion King," has died. He was 72.

By JILL LAWLESS, The Associated Press
LONDON (AP) — Actress Anne Kirkbride, a star of British soap opera "Coronation Street" for more than 40 years, has died at the age of 60.
Network ITV says Kirkbride, who played the long-suffering, much-married Deirdre Barlow, died Monday in a hospital...

By The Associated Press, The Associated Press
Women's footwear designer Vince Camuto, who co-founded shoe company Nine West Group, has died in Connecticut at age 78.
Camuto died Wednesday at his home in Greenwich, said Matthew Murphy, director of the Fred D. Knapp & Son Funeral Home, which is...

By DON BABWIN, The Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Cubs great Ernie Banks died after a heart attack, an attorney representing the Hall of Famer's family said Sunday.
With Banks' widow standing nearby at a news conference at a downtown hotel, Mark Bogen said Banks had the heart...

BOSTON (AP) — Bill Monbouquette, an All-Star pitcher who threw a no-hitter and had a 20-win season for his hometown Boston Red Sox, has died. He was 78.
Monbouquette died Sunday at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston due to complications from leukemia, the Red Sox announced Monday.
...

The Associated Press
SYDNEY (AP) — Best-selling Australian author Colleen McCullough, whose novel "The Thorn Birds" sold 30 million copies worldwide, has died at age 77 after a long illness.
McCullough died Thursday in a hospital on remote Norfolk Island, HarperCollins Australia publishing...

By DOUG FERGUSON, The Associated Press
Charlie Sifford, who only wanted a chance to play and broke the color barrier in golf as the first black PGA Tour member, died Tuesday night, the PGA of America said.
Sifford, who recently had suffered a stroke, was 92. Details of his death and funeral...

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS, The Associated Press
TUPELO, Miss. (AP) — The late U.S. Rep. Alan Nunnelee was a state senator for 15 years before being elected to Congress in 2010, but his greatest source of pride didn't come from a political office.
"The title I'm most proud of is 'Dad,'"...

By KIMBERLY PIERCEALL, The Associated Press
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Las Vegas Strip dimmed its lights late Wednesday night to honor legendary University of Nevada, Las Vegas men's basketball Coach Jerry Tarkanian who died Feb. 11 at the age of 84.
The major Las Vegas Strip casino-hotels plus a...

By MARK KENNEDY, The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Singer-songwriter Lesley Gore, who topped the charts in 1963 at age 16 with her epic song of teenage angst, "It's My Party," and followed it up with the hits "Judy's Turn to Cry," and the feminist anthem "You Don't Own Me," died Monday. She...

The Associated Press
MIAMI (AP) — Popular Mexican soap opera and movie actress Lorena Rojas has died of cancer at age 44.
Latin World Entertainment talent agency said in a statement that Rojas died Monday in Miami surrounded by loved ones. She had battled cancer since 2008.
The Mexico...

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Jerome Kersey, the versatile small forward who helped the Portland Trail Blazers reach two NBA Finals and won a title with the San Antonio Spurs in 1999, died Wednesday. He was 52.

By TOM COYNE, The Associated Press
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — The Rev. Theodore Hesburgh transformed the University of Notre Dame into a school known almost as much for academics as for football, even if it meant challenging popes, presidents or legendary football coaches.
And he did it while...

By DERRIK J. LANG, The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Leonard Nimoy didn't just leave a lasting impression on the science-fiction genre, he also left his mark on science itself.
Seth Shostak, who researches the possibility of real-world extraterrestrial life as the senior astronomer at...

By VERENA DOBNIK, The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Cardinal Edward Egan, a Vatican theological force who led the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York for almost a decade, will be eulogized Tuesday from the pulpit where he once preached.
His successor, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, will be...

By FRAZIER MOORE, The Associated Press
Sam Simon, a co-creator of "The Simpsons" and animal-rights advocate who made a midlife career shift into philanthropy and channeled much of his personal fortune into social causes, has died.
Simon died Sunday at his home in Pacific Palisades, Calif.,...

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Windell Middlebrooks, an actor who gained TV commercial stardom as a burly, no-nonsense beer delivery man who confiscated the brew from undeserving snobs, has died, his family said Tuesday. He was 36.

By DON SCHANCHE Jr., The Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) — In a 1962 article, New York Times reporter Claude Sitton described a voting rights meeting at a south Georgia church that was interrupted when the sheriff and his deputies entered, demanding information. One smacked his heavy flashlight...

The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Richard J. "Dick" Brennan Sr., who helped turn Commander's Palace restaurant into a world-famous destination for Creole cuisine and co-founded one of the city's best-loved Mardi Gras organizations, has died at age 83.
A publicist for Dickie Brennan &...

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mike Porcaro, who was the son and brother of prominent musicians and carved out a long, successful career as the bass player for the Grammy-winning pop group Toto, has died at age 59.
Porcaro died Sunday, Toto's publicist Keith Hagen told The Associated Press.
No cause...

By GREGORY KATZ, The Associated Press
LONDON (AP) — Cynthia Lennon, the first wife of former Beatles guitarist John Lennon, died of cancer Wednesday at her home in Spain. She was 75.
Her death was announced on the website and Twitter account of her son, Julian Lennon and confirmed by his...

The Associated Press
GARDEN GROVE, California (AP) — A public memorial will be held for the late televangelist the Rev. Robert H. Schuller in a plaza outside the glass-paned Crystal Cathedral he built in Orange County.
Daughter Carol Schuller Milner said Sunday the service will be held on...

By DERRIK J. LANG, The Associated Press
Tom Towles, the mustached character actor who popped up in several of Rob Zombie's horror movies, has died. He was 71.
Towles' spokeswoman Tammy Dupal said in a statement Monday that the actor who appeared in "House of 1000 Corpses" and "The Devil's...

By MARK KENNEDY, The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Julie Wilson, a musical theater actress and cabaret star who earned a Tony Award nomination and was cheered for her ability to harness the songs of Stephen Sondheim and Cole Porter, has died. She was 90.
Christopher Denny, Wilson's...

By CLAUDIA LAUER, The Associated Press
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (AP) — Just days after becoming the world's oldest documented person, 116-year-old Gertrude Weaver died Monday in Arkansas.
Weaver became the oldest person in the world after the death of a 117-year-old Japanese woman last week,...

James Best »
Actor who played 'Dukes of Hazzard' sheriff dies at age 88

DIED: April 6, 2015

By JONATHAN DREW and MICHAEL BIESECKER, The Associated Press
RALEIGH, North Carolina (AP) — The prolific character actor best known for his role as Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane on "The Dukes of Hazzard" has died. James Best was 88.
His wife of 29 years, Dorothy Best, said Tuesday that Best...

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Stan Freberg, the spirited comic genius who lampooned American history in his landmark recordings "The United States of America" and was hailed as the father of the funny commercial, died Tuesday. He was 88.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Richard Dysart, a veteran stage and screen actor who played senior partner Leland McKenzie in the long-running TV courtroom drama "L.A. Law," has died after a long illness. He was 86.

By JAY REEVES and REBECCA SANTANA, The Associated Press
MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. (AP) — Sound engineer Jimmy Johnson knew he had captured something special on tape as Percy Sledge finished singing "When a Man Loves a Woman" in a recording studio in 1965.
Sledge, who died Tuesday, grew up singing...

By RACHEL ZOLL and DON BABWIN, The Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) — Cardinal Francis George, a vigorous defender of Roman Catholic orthodoxy who played a key role in the church's response to the clergy sex abuse scandal and led the U.S. bishops' fight against Obamacare, has died after a long...

The Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) — Former Chicago Bears linebacker Doug Buffone, whose reputation for being a passionate football player carried over into his career as a sports broadcaster, was found dead Monday in his home, according to police.
Paramedics and police were summoned to...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Hall of Fame offensive tackle Bob St. Clair, a five-time Pro Bowler with a big personality who played all 11 of his seasons with his hometown San Francisco 49ers, died Monday. He was 84.

The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Sawyer Sweeten, who played one of Ray Romano's twin sons in the CBS comedy "Everybody Loves Raymond," has died. He was 19.
Sweeten committed suicide, his sister Madylin Sweeten, said in a statement. There were no other details. Madylin, and Sawyer's twin...

AP Television Writer, The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jayne Meadows, the Emmy-nominated actress and TV personality who often teamed with her husband, Steve Allen, has died. She was 95.
Meadows died of natural causes Sunday at her home in the Encino, California, area, spokesman Kevin...

By VANESSA GERA, The Associated Press
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Jozef Paczynski, a Polish political prisoner at Auschwitz who became the personal barber to camp commander Rudolf Hoess, has died. He was 95.
For much of World War II, Paczynski was led to Hoess' home and ordered to cut the hair of...

ATLANTA (AP) — Calvin Peete, who taught himself how to play golf at 24 and became the most successful black player on the PGA Tour before the arrival of Tiger Woods, died Wednesday morning, the PGA Tour said. He was 71.

By HILLEL ITALIE, The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Ben E. King, the unforgettable lead singer for the Drifters and solo star whose plaintive baritone graced such pop and rhythm 'n blues classics as "Stand by Me," ''There Goes My Baby" and "Spanish Harlem," has died. He was 76.
King died...

By E. EDUARDO CASTILLO and BARBARA ORTUTAY, The Associated Press
David Goldberg, the SurveyMonkey CEO who also was Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg's husband, was exercising at a gym in a Mexican resort when he collapsed before he died Friday, a person close to the family said.
The person...

NEW YORK (AP) — A 25-year-old police officer shot in the head while attempting to stop a man suspected of carrying a handgun died Monday from his injuries, the third New York City officer slain on duty in five months.
Brian Moore, who was in a coma after undergoing brain surgery following the...

The Associated Press
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — Elizabeth Wilson, who built a career as a character actress in films such as "The Graduate" and "9 to 5," has died. She was 94.
Wilson, who lived in Branford with her sister, died Saturday at Yale-New Haven Hospital, actress Elizabeth Morton, a...

Amtrak train derails, flips; cars torn apart, 5 people dead
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — An Amtrak train headed to New York City derailed and tipped over in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, mangling the front of it, tearing the cars apart and killing at least five people. Scores of passengers were...

By KEN RITTER, The Associated Press
LAS VEGAS (AP) — B.B. King, whose scorching guitar licks and heartfelt vocals made him the idol of generations of musicians and fans while earning him the nickname King of the Blues, died late Thursday at home in Las Vegas. He was 89.
King's attorney...

By FRANK ELTMAN, The Associated Press
Margaretta "Happy" Rockefeller, the widow of former U.S. Vice President and New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller and one of the first women to speak publicly about her breast cancer in the 1970s, has died. She was 88.
Happy Rockefeller, who earned her...

By BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI, The Associated Press
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Born to an electrical engineer, and later a precocious and dashing young man who attained an Ivy League education, John Nash seemed destined for a life of stunning success. That he achieved, winning a Nobel Prize in 1994, but not...

By SANDY COHEN and FRAZIER MOORE, The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anne Meara, the loopy, lovable comedian who launched a standup career with husband Jerry Stiller in the 1950s and found success as an actress in films, on TV and the stage, has died.
Jerry Stiller and son Ben Stiller...

By CHARLES J. GANS, The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Whatever rules in jazz hadn't been shattered by Charlie Parker and other bebop artists, Ornette Coleman finished off for good.
Coleman, who died Thursday at age 85, brought to jazz the kind of open-ended, non-narrative approach that...

By SALLY HO and STEVE ROTHWELL, The Associated Press
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, an eighth-grade dropout who built Las Vegas' biggest hotels, tried to take over Chrysler and bought and sold MGM at a profit three times, has died. He was 98.
He died Monday night in Beverly...

Patrick Macnee, who played a stylish secret agent on the 1960s television series "The Avengers," has died. He was 93.
Macnee, who died Thursday of natural causes in Rancho Mirage, California, played John Steed on the TV program, which debuted in the U.S. in 1966 and ran for eight years in...

Comedian Jack Carter died of respiratory failure on Sunday June 28th at his Beverly Hills home at the age of 93. He had a long career in Hollywood that included appearances in movies, on Broadway and he guest starred on many television series.
By SUE MANNING, The Associated Press

Irwin Keyes »
Burly actor who played the bodyguard Hugo on "The Jeffersons"

DIED: July 8, 2015

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Irwin Keyes, who was Hugo the bodyguard on TV's "The Jeffersons" and had a long career playing villains and henchmen, died Wednesday in Southern California. He was 63.
Talent manager Travis Engle said Keyes died of complications from acromegaly, a hormonal disorder in which...

By ROBERT JABLON, The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fashion designer Christian Audigier, who was born in France but gained fame and fortune in the United States with his tattoo-inspired, street-wise designs for the Ed Hardy and Von Dutch brands, died Friday. He was 57.
Audigier died...

NEW YORK (AP) — Roger Rees, the lanky Tony Award-winning Welsh-born actor and director who made his mark onstage as Nicholas Nickleby and later played English multi-millionaire Robin Colcord on the TV show "Cheers," has died. He was 71.

Bobbi Kristina Brown, daughter of singers Bobby Brown and the late Whitney Houston, died July 26, 2015, having been in a coma since Jan. 31, 2015. She was 22.
ATLANTA (AP) — A representative for the Houston family has said Bobbi Kristina Brown, daughter of the late entertainer Whitney Houston...

True-crime writer Ann Rule, who wrote a profile of her former co-worker, serial killer Ted Bundy, has died at age 83, according to the Associated Press.
By DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP, Associated Press
SEATTLE (AP) — True-crime writer Ann Rule, who wrote more than 30 books, including a profile...

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper, the wrestling world icon, movie star, and podcast host has died, the Associated Press reports. He was 61. According to the TMZ, he died from cardiac arrest in his sleep at his Hollywood home on Thursday night.

Cilla Black, a British singer who was championed by the Beatles and went on to a successful 50-year music and television career, has died, according to the Associated Press. She was 72.
By JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press
LONDON (AP) — Big-voiced British singer Cilla Black, a product of Beatles...

Tony Lara, a ship captain on the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch," has died in South Dakota, according to multiple news sources. He was 50.
STURGIS, S.D. (AP) — Authorities say a man who has appeared as a ship captain on the Discovery Channel television program "Deadliest Catch" has died...

NFL Hall of Famer and veteran sports broadcaster Frank Gifford has died in Connecticut, his family announced on Sunday, according to NBC News and other sources. He was 84.
NEW YORK (AP) — Frank Gifford, the Pro Football Hall of Famer who led the New York Giants to the 1956 NFL title and later...

(AP) Buddy Baker, a former Daytona 500 winner and NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee, has died after a brief battle with lung cancer, according to The Associated Press. Baker, who died early Monday, was 74.
Buddy Baker, a former Daytona 500 winner and NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee, has died after a brief...

Dean Jones »
Actor who starred in such classic Disney films as "The Love Bug"

DIED: September 1, 2015

Dean Jones, the actor who starred in such classic Disney films as "That Darn Cat!," "The Love Bug" and "The Shaggy D.A.," has died. He was 84.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dean Jones, whose boyish good looks and all-American manner made him Disney's favorite young actor for such lighthearted films as ...

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Helen Burns Jackson, the mother of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, has died. She was 92.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson told The Associated Press his mother died Monday morning in her longtime hometown of Greenville, South Carolina. She had been in failing health for some time...

NEW YORK (AP) - Subway co-founder Fred DeLuca died Monday evening after being diagnosed with leukemia two years ago, the company said Tuesday. He was 67.
DeLuca's death came weeks after the 50th anniversary of Subway, which has become the world's biggest restaurant chain by locations.
DeLuca...

Gary Richrath, the longtime guitarist for REO Speedwagon, died Sunday, September 13, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was 65.
Richrath wrote and co-wrote popular songs for the band, including 1973's "Ridin' the Storm Out" and 1981's "Take it on the Run," a No. 5 Billboard...

Baseball great Yogi Berra died Tuesday of natural causes. He was 90.
Berra was a New York baseball stalwart, playing for the Yankees for most of his career and the Mets for a single year, then later coaching and managing both teams. But he was born May 12, 1925, in St. Louis, Missouri, the son...

Grace Lee Boggs, a longtime activist who was part of the labor, civil rights, black power, women's rights and environmental justice movements, died Monday at her Detroit home, The Associated Press reported. She was 100.
Boggs and her late husband, James Boggs, were involved in advocacy for...

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Paul Prudhomme, the Cajun who popularized spicy Louisiana cuisine and became one of the first American restaurant chefs to achieve worldwide fame, died Thursday. He was 75.
Tiffanie Roppolo, the CFO of Prudhomme's businesses, told The Associated Press that he died early Thursday...

Bruce Hyde »
Actor who played Lieutenant Kevin Riley on the original "Star Trek" TV series

DIED: October 13, 2015

Bruce Hyde, an actor who played Lieutenant Kevin Riley on the original "Star Trek" television series, has died, according to multiple news sources.
Hyde, who was 74, died Oct. 13 of throat cancer, according to his wife.
Hyde appeared in two episodes of the series, "The Naked Time" and "The...

Marty Ingels, a raspy-voiced comedian, actor and talent agent who was married to singer and actress Shirley Jones for nearly 40 years, died Wednesday in Los Angeles, according to The Associated Press. He was 79.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Marty Ingels, a comedian, actor and talent agent who was married...

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fiery-haired and feisty, Maureen O'Hara could handle anything the world and Hollywood threw at her. Director John Ford punched her in the jaw at a party and John Wayne dragged her through sheep dung — real sheep dung — in "The Quiet...

Al Molinaro »
Actor who played the owner of Arnold's Diner on TV's "Happy Days" died Friday.

DIED: October 30, 2015

Al Molinaro, the actor known best for playing diner owner Al Delvecchio on TV's "Happy Days," died Friday of gall stone complications. He was 96.
A native of Kenosha, Wisconsin – just 40 miles from the "Happy Days" setting of Milwaukee – Molinaro was born June 24, 1919. He moved to...

Fred Thompson »
U.S. senator who also acted in feature films and on television

DIED: November 1, 2015

Fred Thompson, a Republican U.S. senator from Tennessee for eight years who also acted in feature films and on television, has died, his family says in a statement. For full obituary and coverage, click here...

Melissa Mathison, who was Oscar-nominated for original screenplay for Steven Spielberg's "E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial" and also wrote "The Black Stallion," died Wednesday in Los Angeles after an illness, her brother Dirk Mathison confirmed, according to Variety. .For full obituary and coverage from...

George Barris, who created television's original Batmobile, along with custom vehicles for "The Munsters" and "The Beverly Hillbillies," has died at 89. For full obituary and coverage from Legacy.com, click here...

Legendary New Orleans musician and composer Allen Toussaint has died after suffering a heart attack following a concert he performed in the Spanish capital, according to The Associated Press. He was 77. For full obituary and coverage from Legacy.com, click here...

Phil Taylor »
Former longtime drummer for the British heavy metal band Motorhead

DIED: November 11, 2015

Motorhead's former longtime drummer, Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, died Wednesday evening, according to former guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke. For full obituary and coverage from Legacy.com, click here...

John Ciarcia »
Actor whose credits include "The Sopranos," "Hoffa" and "Goodfellas"

DIED: November 21, 2015

John "Cha-Cha" Ciarcia, a tough-guy actor on "The Sopranos" who also owned a popular restaurant in New York City's Little Italy neighborhood that his celebrity friends frequented, has died. For full obituary and coverage from Legacy.com, click here...

Cynthia Robinson, a trumpet player and original member of the groundbreaking psychedelic-funk-soul group Sly and the Family Stone, died Nov. 23 in Carmichael, California. For full obituary and coverage from Legacy.com, click here...

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